Super Mario: The Return of Smithy
by LauncesMechinist
Summary: Some time has passed since the infamous Smithy Gang destroyed the Star Road and nearly conquered the world. Since then, Bowser has been back to his old tricks and Mario right there to stop him. However, what if the Smithy they defeated was just a copy? What if the REAL Smithy arrived to pick up where his clone left off? Would Mario and the others succeed in defeating him again?
1. Prologue

Hello everyone. Well, strange thing, I was rumaging through a box with some of my old video games from the 90s and came across my old SNES. Well I still had the wires for it and hooked it up and wouldn't you know the first game I pick up was one of my favorites when I was little.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

I used to spend hours on end level grinding to face some of the stronger bosses. My brother, just for the sake of annoying me, hid this game CONSTANTLY yet I always found it.

After finishing it, I always longed for a sequal to be made but alas, it was apparently never to be. Nintendo and Square-Enix (then called Squaresoft) had a bad disagreement. Mario and regular Super Mario characters stayed with Nintendo while Square got the rights to Mallow, Geno, and characters THEY had created.

My Top 5 Moments in the Game:

1.) The Dodge Dodo Minigame in Cloud City.

2.) The scene from before Mario and Mallow fight Bowyer. (You don't have to be Bruce Lee to fight a boss you know...) (A Yoshi Cookie for those of you who got that XD)

3.) The Great Marrymore Item Race

4.) Croco Battle #1 (Hey, your tail's on fire...) (Another Yoshi Cookie to those who got that XD)

5.) Smithy's Interlude (That dude REALLY needs to watch his blood pressure...) (A final Yoshi Cookie to you guys, hey, now you have enough for a race! XD)

Well, now that I've found the game and played it through again, I've rekindled that desire. I shall be posting this story not only on Fanfiction but DeviantART as well.

So now, everyone, I give you the prologue of:

Super Mario RPG 2: The Return of Smithy

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SUPER MARIO UNIVERSE. THE MARIO BROTHERS, TOAD, PRINCESS PEACH, BOWSER AND OTHER SIMILAR CHARACTERS ARE OWNED BY NINTENDO; GENO, MALLOW AND OTHERS ARE OWNED (I BELIEVE) BY SQUARE-ENIX.

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Prologue: A Quite Morning...Or Not

Location: Mario's Home (The Pipe House)

Party: N/A

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The door to the small house opened without a sound. The field of flowers that surrounded the little place always put Princess Peach at ease. And why shouldn't it? She no longer had to worry about anything. Bowser hadn't been seen or heard from ever since Mario defeated him (again) all those months ago. In fact, he, his koopalings, and Bowser Jr hadn't come anywhere near the Mushroom Kingdom. To be honest, if she had to admit it, it was rather dull. Despite the times she had felt terror at being kidnapped time and again, she actually missed the excitement of it. Now the old Keep where she had been taken time and again stood empty with the exception of Dry Bones.

Her being swept away by Bowser, Mario coming through all manner of fiends and foes to rescue her from Bowser's scaly clutches...

 _(Okay, I'll admit it to myself, I'm bored out of my wits.)_ She finally thought to herself. _(I wonder how soon Mario would be aware if I was gone...? Hmm...sometimes I can't help but imagining Bowser's Koopa Clown Car or one of his Doomships flying above...)_

At that moment, a low whirring noise was heard. Peach gazed around but saw nothing but clouds.

Peach returned to watching the flowers and saw a small shadow flying over them. She heard the whirring again.

 _(Strange...am I really that bored? I'm starting to imagine hearing it...)_

Suddenly, she heard a laugh on the wind. A laugh that sent chills down her spine but also lit a spark in her. She gazed up in a mix of mock and actual fear and, wonder of wonders, down swooped the Koopa Clown Car.

Bowser gazed at her, his face a snarl of triumph.

"Alright Princess. You're coming with ME!" On que, Bowser Jr leapt from the flying machine, grabbed Peach and proceeded to tie her hands together and, with a strength that betrayed his size, threw her over her shoulder and leapt from the rock into the Clown Car. Peach, knowing this was her chance, let out a shriek that actually _stunned_ Bowser and Bowser Jr.

The door to the Pipe House was thrown open so forcefully the handle knocked a hole in the wall. Out came Mario, Luigi, and Toad, who started when they saw Bowser who, now recovered, growled and started to fly off, Peach screaming all the way. Mario turned to Luigi and Toad.

"Well, here we go again."

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Location: Vista Hill/ Bowser's Keep

Party: Mario, Luigi, Toad

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Lightning arced across the sky. Thunder boomed as the Koopa Clown Car floated onwards. All day, for some reason, Bowser Jr had felt uneasy. Maybe it was because Morton had done something with his breakfast, but... okay... he _knew_ something was off...

If there was anything a Koopa could feel, it was whenever misfortune occurred... still... the feeling of unease was never this strong... Gazing up at his father, King Bowser, he could see that he felt it to. Peach had stopped screaming and now regarded them curiously.

"What's the matter Bowser? Having second thoughts?" Bowser sighed, an uncharacteristic thing for him to do.

"Sometimes I wonder... what is the point of all this? I've been doing the same thing for as long as I can remember. I kidnap you, you scream, Mario and Luigi come, bust through my Keep, defeat me, and rescue you... Bah! What am I saying?! Kidnapping you is the highlight of my day! Maybe I'm just having an off day..."

Bowser Jr gazed at his dad and then looked over the edge and saw three figures running for the bridge to the Keep.

"Dad! Dad! They're here!" Bowser looked at the hill and nodded.

"Right. Well, time to see if Ludwig and Lemmy's new ideas work..." Peach chuckled.

"You already know the answer to that don't you?" Bowser sighed and chuckled to himself. He knew. He knew all too well... The traps _would_ work at first, but once the brothers realized how to overcome them, they would be unstoppable. No matter.

Bowser brought the Koopa Clown Car down in the spot where he always did, hopped out with Jr and Peach and then gazed up, as if seeing something amiss.

 _(Hmm... perhaps it's my imagination but... I could have_ _ **sworn**_ _the clouds turned an ever darker red than normal... That's it... no more trusting Morton with making breakfast... In hindsight, should have expected that though... Heh, takes after his dad there...)_

Though he never showed it publicly, Bowser _was_ proud of his children. What parent wouldn't be after all? They took after him perfectly. They each had a trait of his. What irritated the scales off him was that they absolutely _refused_ to work together unless they got something out of it and even then it was a half-hearted effort. Their individual personalities were like oil and water. They just couldn't mesh...

As he came through the back door to the throne room, he gazed upwards at a long skylight he had been forced to install. He never told the children about this. The time he was forced to cooperate with Mario to face a foe even viler than him.

That skylight was set to cover the collosal hole made by a giant sword named Exor, the second-in-command of a group known as the Smithy Gang. A gang of living weapons created and led by a madman named Smithy. With Mario and Peach's help, he had reclaimed his castle, defeated Smithy, and soon set about plotting his next scheme.

A moment later a Koopa Troopa came in, out of breath.

"Your Meaness! The Mario Brothers! They're in the Keep!" Bowser nodded and turned to Bowser Jr.

"You know what to do?" Bowser Jr nodded and ran off to one of the secret passages that connected the keep together. Bowser always did have a fondness for secret passages.

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Mario, Luigi, and Toad had came to the large, steel bar reinforced gate just as the Koopa Clown Car came down behind the Keep. Predictably, the doors opened seemingly of their own accord, the portcullis behind raised, and torches along the passage lit by themselves. Mario started forward but heard a strange noise. Turning back, he saw his brother's knees shaking nervously.

"Luigi, this is no time to be scared."

"I c-can't help it M-Mario. Y-You know Bowser uses Boos to guard some of the Keep and that I'm... I'm afraid of ghosts..." Mario sighed. Of course Bowser would use Boos and other creatures to stall them. Toad came forward, determined but also wary.

"Well, one thing's certain, the Princess isn't going to rescue herself. Let's get in there!" Without warning, Toad charged in. Mario nodded and followed, Luigi gazed around, apparently having second thoughts until he saw the portcullis slowly lowering and a clap of thunder right behind him made him jump and dive through the closing obstruction just as it came down with a loud BANG!

Coming through the hallway, the three of them gazed around, keeping an eye out for traps or ambushes. A small but of rubble fell from the roof and spooked Luigi but otherwise nothing happened. Mario motioned to the far door.

"There's the door! Let's go!"

As they approached the door, more rubble fell from the roof, making Luigi look up. When he did, his jaw dropped.

"Mario! Look out!"

Mario looked up and jumped back just as a massive Thwomp came down in front of the door. When he got to his feet, he saw the Thwomp chuckle in a half-menacing, half-good natured sort of way.

"Getting a little dull aren't you Mario?" Mario sighed as, predictably, hidden doors opened on either side opened and several goombas, troopas, and terrapins came out.

Luigi gazed at the group and sighed with relief.

"Well, at least there aren't any Boos. Goombas and Troopas I can handle!"

As the group got in formation, the first enemies attacked: three Goombas.

Mario, Luigi, and Toad used unarmed attacks against the Goombas, successfully knocking them out. No sooner had the last Goomba fallen than a group of three Troopas came at them. This time, Mario jumped upwards, landed on the closest reptile, forcing it into its shell. Luigi was right behind him to kick the shell at the next Troopa, knocking them both out. Toad and Mario then worked together to defeat the last of them.

That just left the two Terrapins and the Thwomp before them. Mario and Luigi attacked the two Terrapins, managing to launch them backwards into the Thwomp which toppled over without too much trouble.

"Whew...Guess I was wrong. You haven't lost your touch." Mario came up to the toppled Thwomp.

"Where's the Princess?" The Thwomp looked at Mario starightfaced and serious.

"Where do you think? She's in another castle! Har! Har! Har!"

Before Mario could reply, a chain came from the ceiling, hooked onto one of the Thwomp's stone spikes, and pulled it up through the hole in the roof. From the hole, laughter emerged.

"Well done! We've delayed them long enough! Now the rest of the traps are ready!" Mario looked to Luigi who looked at him, also recognizing the voice.

"Ludwig."

Ludwig Koopa, the self-proclaimed 'genius' of the eight siblings. Always tinkering wth something or another. If there was a complex trap somewhere in the castle, chances are Ludwig had a claw in making it... Still, if there was one thing to be said about Ludwig's traps, more often than not he spent so much time thinking about them he usually overlooked one small flaw which would unraval the entire plot.

As Mario, Luigi, and Toad walked through the door, Mario suddenly felt a sense of deja vu. The room before was lined with black and white tiles. Nothing seemingly out of the ordinary. For a moment, he tried to recall where he'd seen something like this before. Suddenly, he got an idea and tossed a loose rock nearby onto one of the black tiles.

It exploded in a brilliant flash, jogging Mario's memory.

"This is just like that room in Booster's Tower... Careful Luigi, Toad, only step on the white squares. The black tiles are trapped." Luigi and Toad nodded and followed Mario as he weaved his way across the floor, taking extra care not to lose his balance. Suddenly, they heard someone above them.

"Why aren't there more explosions? Roy, did you plant the bob-ombs like I asked you to?" The reply, from Roy Koopa, the bully of the family, was agitated.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. So what? Mario's probably already figured out the way past by now."

"Impossible. I designed this trap personally after getting a rather odd letter from a fellow named Booster that time I asked others for trap ideas." There was a stunned silence.

"Booster? That oddball who lives in that tower? Do you honestly think he'd have had any bright ideas?" Now Ludwig was irate.

"Better than YOU!"

Mario sighed as the sounds of two brothers fighting echoed throughout the room. Just as Mario and party reached the opposite side of the room, the ceiling came down and both Roy and Ludwig landed in the middle of the floor. Ludwig stopped long nough to stare at Mario with a positively thunderstruck expression.

"How? What? Where? When? H- HOW DID YOU GET PAST?!" Roy coughed.

"Easy, he made his way over the black tiles. All we got to do is follow and we can get him!" Ludwig was so stunned he barely registered what Roy said until he saw his older brother's foot come down on a black tile. Ludwig visibly paled.

"No! No fool! Not THAT one! Those are the tiles that are-" He didn't finish as the tile exploded, knocking Roy backwards onto ANOTHER black tile which (predictably) exploded, launching him time and again from one trapped tile into another. Chuckling at the two, Mario, Luigi, and Toad went through the door and into the next room.

The room they were now in was still, the only light was from the skylight above them. The group walked through looking this way and that. Then, for some reason, Mario felt a great unease and gazed upwards. There, on the balcony overlooking the room, was Bowser, Bowser Jr, and the Princess.

Noticing a Kinklink chandalier nearby, Mario leapt up onto it with Luigi and Toad in hot pursuit. Bowser laughed as he faced them.

"Last time we fought on chandalier's you got the better of me by attacking the chain, _this_ time however, I've got YOU at a disadvantage!" Bowser Jr, ever mimicking his father, laughed as well but then seemingly realized something and stopped.

"Umm... Dad? What about the supports to the balcony here? They're still in need of repair after Wendy's tantrum..." Bowser stopped laughing and gazed at his son.

"You know what? I'd completely forgotten about that..." At that moment, Peach piped up.

"Mario! Luigi! Toad has a Fire Flower in his bag!" Toad, remembering it, pulled it and handed it to the brothers who felt the change as the flower's power coursed through them. Bowser couldn't help but groan. Mario and Luigi got ready, took aim at the wooden supports...

BANG!

Suddenly, a large bolt of lightning split the sky open. The skylight shattered, cracks appeared in the castle walls, Peach screamed, Bowser Jr gazed about in shock as the castle trembled. Mario looked up and caught a glimpse of something falling from the sky. To his shock, stars were falling, hundreds of them... but that wasn't the worse part...

An eerily familiar feeling came to memory as a large sword split the sky and came down onto the Castle. There was a tremendous explosion, the shockwave of which knocked Mario out cold.

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Well everyone, I hope you liked it. I hope to be posting this on both Fanfiction and DeviantART when I get the chance to update. I know I'm probably grating on your nerves with all these stories but to be honest, I can't help it. Jumping from one subject to another helps me rest my mind from other projects of interest and allow me the chance to refresh. So all I ask is that you put up with me.

If you like the story so far, please review, comment, fav, and/or follow the story. Until next time!

Next Chapter: A Long Way From Home


	2. A Long Way From Home

Hey everyone, I'm back with the first (numbered) chapter of my Super Mario fanfic. I hope ya'll like it.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THE SUPER MARIO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS (IF I ADD ANY).

Chapter 1: A Long Way From Home

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Location: ? Unknown ?

Party: Mario

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The first thing that he heard was thunder cracking high in the sky. The next thing was cold rain coming down in a steady rhythm. Mario slowly dragged himself to his feet. He rubbed the dust from his eyes and gazed around to try and see where he was. All around him, grass was waving gently in the breeze, rainwater cascading off the parapets around him. Turning around, he saw a huge, ancient grey castle stretching out before him. From the state of ruin it had likely been abandoned for some time.

Turning around again, in the distance he saw what looked to be islands.

"Where in the world am I?"

Mario wracked his memory trying to remember the events before... then suddenly he recalled them with a shock.

"The Princess! We were fighting Bowser and then... No... It couldn't have been... Still, that doesn't explain how in the world I got our here or even where here is... Well, I'm not going to get anywhere by standing here. Looks like the only way to go is forward."

Mario advanced past the crumbling outside and stepped into the ruined castle he had seen. The wooden doors long since fallen apart with rot. Inside the main hall, part of the roof had caved in some time ago, littering the floor with rubble. Despite the ancient appearance, Mario was sure he'd seen this castle before. Further in, he passed a huge fissure in the wall and saw ocean waves crashing against the shoals near the castle.

Suddenly, a load cry pierced the silence of the old castle. Mario leapt around in surprise, expecting something...

Nothing...

 _(An echo... there's someone else here other than me. From the sound of it they're further in...)_

Passing some fallen chandaliers, their candles and flames long extinguished, as well as some broken columns, he made his way further in to the castle. Unsure of what lay ahead, he advanced with the utmost caution. Checking left and right, he saw collapsed platforms, broken ledges, smashed stonework, amongst other things. Then he heard the cry again, this time much louder.

Throwing caution to the wind, Mario dashed forward into another room, expecting to find someone or something in trouble, yet he stopped in surprise.

Before his was the last person he expected, Bowser Jr. The tyke was huddled near a fallen arch, his bandana down and Mario could see both worry and fear on his face. Yet, the second he saw Mario, Jr erased his fear and replaced it with a look of anger.

"YOU! What have you done?!" Mario involuntarily took a step back and shrugged. Jr didn't buy it.

"No, I know you had something to do with that loud blast! Where's Dad? Where is he?!" Mario was about to speak when a loud grinding noise was heard. Mario had enough warning to dive out of the way when six narrow gears flew by and imbedded themselves into the stonework. Gazing up, he saw a strange looking creature on the remaining arch.

It had four narrow legs, a large torso inside which numerous gears were spinning at various speeds, and a small dome-shaped head with no mouth but two small red eyes, on one arm it had a piston which was turning one of those gears and the other held an apperatus with various tools on it. Jr, still angry leapt up and pointed at the creature.

"What are you?! How dare you interrupt me when I'm ranting at my Dad's worst enemy! I DEMAND to know who you are!" The creature let out a sharp whistle of steam like a kettle and leapt down. Once it landed, it spoke in a harsh, rusty soprano.

"I do not answer to those who seek to destroy my Master's wishes. However, simply because I'd be at a loss if I didn't do so, I shall tell you. I am Gearix, and as for who my Master is, well... oh heck... there's no way of saying my position so prestigiously... I am a Grinder, one who is sent to do a task that none of the higher ups have either the time nor inclination to do." Jr started chuckling then went to a full blown laugh.

"You're an _underling_?! A Gopher?! Ha ha ha!"

Gearix immediately turned his right arm, which was now spinning quicker, to Jr and fired two gears at him. However, Mario saw this and ran for Jr, scooped him up and jumped just as the gears crashed into the ground.

Despite Jr's indignant attitude, Mario set him down and turned, a frown on his face.

"Tell me. Are you a member of the Smithy Gang?" Gearix turned and then gazed down at Mario, eyes flashing brightly.

"Indeed. I am one of the Smithy Gang."

"Then you know that I defeated Smithy alongside Bowser and others, right?" Gearix reared back and the gears in his body actually siezed, making him cough and splutter indignantly.

"Blasted third-rate parts!" The left arm swiveled around to a crank and then Gearix swung the crank over to the second largest gear in his torso and started turning, winding the gear back up. Once the gears were running again, he looked at Mario.

"Apologies. I don't normally mean to wind down on anyone, especially not a foe but it's these shoddy replacement parts. To answer your question, yes, I know you defeated _A_ Smithy. However, the Smithy gang is much, _much_ stronger than you realize. Our leader, the _REAL_ Smithy, made multiple copies of himself and his greatest creation Exor long ago so that he could conquer multiple worlds simultaneously. Peak of efficiancy and all that. However, events on _this_ world demanded investigation. The Smithy sent here was one of our more successful copies. Now that we have identified the chief persons responsible for that copy's failure, we have made the capture and removal of these threats our utmost priority." Gearix leapt down from his position and stood before Mario.

"Consider yourself fortunate. Compared to my compatriots, I prefer to deal with my opponents quickly. Gives me more time to slack- er... I mean, more time to maintain and improve upon my inner workings. Now then, let's see what makes you... _'tick'_ ha! Clock jokes! I crack myself up sometimes!"

Mario had just enough warning before a gear was sent flying towards him. Unlike the previous gears that got stuck in the stonework, this one was spinning so fast and was so thin it cut straight _through_ the pillar behind him, richocheted off the back wall, and then was caught by Gearix as he spun up for his next attack. Mario, seeing a chance, leapt forward and tried to punch Gearix but he nimbly dodged the attack.

"Nice try but you'll have to be quicker than that! Here, catch!"

Gearix swung the gear arm around and tried to use it in close quarters. Mario managed to dodge again and countered, jumping up, landing on Gearix's head, then leaping away as Gearix brought his arm up and slammed it down on his own head. Gearix's head was pushed into the torso by the blow but he then he reemerged with a sound like a cash register.

"Gah! Why you little- You'll pay for that! Wait'll I get my-" He was interupted by a cookoo sound coming from his gears and he snarled.

"Not again! Seriously?" Gearix stopped fighting to wind his gears back up giving Mario time to recover. Mario gazed over to Bowser Jr who was watching the fight with amazement.

"Jr! Get to safety! If this guy's really one of Smithy's goons, he won't think twice about attacking you as well." Gearix heard that and looked to Bowser Jr and his eyes gave a flash.

"So, this child is the son of that big brute, eh? Well, although his daddy isn't my target, I suppose once I finish with you I'll use the kid as bait to draw him out. He'll learn that no one escapes from the Smithy Gang without- OUCH!"

Mario watched with amazement as Bowser Jr produced a hammer from his backpack and tossed it at Gearix with all his strength. The hammer hit with such force it dented Gearix's torso and knocked a few bolts and gears loose that started rattling inside. Bowser Jr came up to Mario, fear replaced with determination.

"You help me find Dad, I'll fight alongside you." Given how many times Bowser Jr had surprised him with what he carried in that backpack time and again, Mario offered no objection. Rather, he reached down for the fallen hammer and hefted it experimentally.

"Like it? That's a Hammer Brother's Number Six Mallet. I'll letcha borrow it for a while if you can get some use out of it." Mario nodded his thanks and eyed Gearix as he recovered, clanking and hissing indignation all the while.

"Blast! You- You brutes! You've damaged my mainspring! Do you have _ANY_ idea how hard it is to find a composite alloy mainspring?! Not very easy, considering the tensile strength of the alloys needed. Oh, Smithy's going to scrap me for this... He absolutely _HATES_ forging unique replacement parts. One of the reasons he got into mass production. Well, I doubt you'll be getting off this island anytime soon... Tell you what, I'll leave you some friends to keep you company. Oh Gearheads!"

...

...

Nothing...

 _"WAKE UP YOU SLOBS!"_

Six floating gears shot from the chamber on his back and eyed him with their single eyes.

"Sheesh boss, whatcha yellin' for? Hey, ain't that clank coming from your mainspring? You know how the big boss'll react when you come clanking in like a kitchen."

"I know! I know! I know!" Gearix pointed to Mario and Bowser Jr.

"I have to retreat for repairs. Deal with THEM!" Without waiting for a reply, Gearix turned and ran off, clanking all the way. The Gearheads turned to Mario and Bowser Jr and sighed.

"Look, nothing personal. It's just that WE have to live with that guy on a daily basis. The job pays dirt but it's better than being scrapped."

Mario started off by swinging the hammer down onto the closest Gearhead. He carried through the momentum and managed a second strike, sending the gear flying backwards into a seemingly familiar paining hanging from the wall. One of the Gearheads saw the painting and laughed.

"Hey Four! You look good in that dress! Sixteenth Century clothes suit you!"

The gear pulled itself from the wall and flew at the other one, knocking it into the same painting.

"You like it so much? Then YOU try it!"

As the two gears were about to start fighting, the center, larger gear got in between and coughed.

"Enough you two! I swear people are going to think you two were drop-forged the way you are behaving!" One of the gears looked abashed and sighed.

"I can't help it. One of the Forgers dropped me six times when I was being made... I- I've got stress fractures all over my body!" The other gears gave the lone one a look of pity before they regrouped.

Bowser Jr took the chance to attack, mainly by hurling a random item from his backpack at them. Just so happened, this time the item was troopa shell. Mario followed up by bringing the hammer down on the center gear. The other gears immediately flew into a near panic.

"One! You okay?" Another looked to Mario.

"Meanie! One's the oldest of us all, hand-forged by Smithy himself! Don't you know enough to respect your elders?!" Gear One coughed and straightened up.

"I'm alright... I'm alright... Whew! Haven't been knocked around like THAT in a long time. I think we might just have to do it..." Another gear looked to One.

"You mean...?"

"Yes! Link up gears! It's time for Chain Drive!"

The gears shuddered with anticipation as they started to close and join with the main gear. They had just finished joining and started turning in sync when there was a sharp CRACK and the center gear broke the formation, one of it's 'teeth' broken.

"I broke a tooth! I broke a tooth! I BROKE A TOOTH!"

"One! We can't do Chain Drive with you damaged like that, mayhaps we withdraw?" The center gear froaned but then leveled out and hovered and gazed at Mario and Boswer Jr.

"I fear you are right Three. There is no way we can stand against them individually. Chain Drive would be our only hope and for the moment that hope is gone... Withdraw!"

The gears flew away as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Mario and Bowser Jr alone in the old castle. Sighing with relief, Mario sat down on a piece of rubble to look the place over. He hadn't had time to think about it but he _HAD_ seen this castle before. It was one of the many castles Bowser had had once upon a time. Bowser Jr was nearby kicking at some rocks before looking over to Mario.

"Well? Usually it's around a time like this that you come up with some brilliant idea to get yourself out of a jam... Anything?" Mario shook his head.

"I have a feeling I know where we are but I don't think it helps us. This is one of your Dad's older castles. If anyone knew his way around here it'd be him..." Bowser Jr rose and started looking around the ruins for something. A poke here, pull something there, stomp on an obscure floor tile, even going so far as to poke an old painting in the eyes.

"Strange. This castle seems to have no trap doors or anything else... It seems pretty plain." Mario chuckled.

"These older castles weren't meant to be puzzles. No, in their own way they were meant to test me, to see what I was capable of. Many's a time I've had to think on my feet. Bottom line is this castle is on an island and I doubt you have a boat in your backpack." Bowser Jr gazed around and sighed.

"So, how far away from the Keep do you think we are?"

"We're on an island chain a good distance from the Mushroom Kingdom if that's what you're asking. That sword, if it was as that Gearix said, the original Exor, he's a lot stronger than the copy I fought with Bowser all that time ago. He sent us flying a good distance." Mario suddenly rose and snapped his fingers.

"I just remembered! One of Bowser's Doomships crashed here once! It's possible the wreckage might still work. Jr, do you know how to work it?" Jr shook his head sadly.

"No, Ludwig was the genius. If anyone could have figured machinery out, it would be him."

"Somebody call me?"

Mario and Jr both jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to see Ludwig walking from behind a pillar.

"Well, this is a surprise, little brother fighting alongside Mario. Well, given the circumstances I won't say anything. Don't look at me like that Mario, I may be a genius and a braggard but even I know when to shut my trap... occasionally..." Ludwig came forward and sat beside Jr.

"To answer your question, no, I just arrived here. I overheard fighting and then saw those creatures take off. Now then, you said we're on an island chain and we'll need the Doomship to get back to the mainland, right?" Mario nodded.

"Unfortunately, I've already looked through the wreckage of said Doomship and I'm afraid it doesn't have enough power to get to the mainland. It has enough, maybe, to get to the next closest island but that's it." He gazed and saw both Mario and Jr give him a 'And that island is' expression that made him sigh.

"The next island is actually the start of the four-island chain... I believe it was called Donut Island or something like that... anyway... Mario... how did you and Dad beat Smithy the last time?" Mario sighed.

"Help from a lot of friends as well as power from the Star Road. You see, when Exor... the _COPY_ Exor crashed through the Star Road, he nearly destroyed it. I went around the land gathering these seven 'Star Pieces' all the while meeting new friends, finding Bowser and the Princess, all other sorts of things. If that's happened again, however, I'm afriad I don't have a clue where to start looking for the Star Pieces first..." Ludwig scratched his chin for a moment then looked to Mario.

"Falling stars? As in _SHOOTING_ Stars? I saw what appeared to be a star come down on Donut Island, however... it looked like it shattered before it hit the island..." Mario sighed and nodded.

"Then that's where we go. Ludwig, can you get the Doomship to Donut Island? I won't ask you to fight alongside me but like it or not, we're in this together now. Smithy is a threat to all of us, yourself and Bowser included. You want to find him, the best bet is to start finding Star Pieces because Bowser'll likely be doing the same thing, if he isn't trying to rally thr Koopa Troop again..." Ludwig looked at Mario then to Jr and nodded.

"Alright then, follow me."

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Okay everyone, chapter is done. Please let me know if you like the direction this is going. I'll try to keep the story interesting all the while linking bits and pieces from the other Mario games that I know by heart.

(FYI: The only Mario games I honestly know by heart is the original, Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, and Super Mario World: Yoshi's Island) I've played a few of the Wii and GBA and DS games but not enough to memorize events. Sorry.)

Anyway, please fav and review!

Next Chapter: Donut Island Deja Vu.


	3. An Old Frenemy

Hello everyone. Well, the Olympics are over and now things are finally winding down. At the moment of my typing this chapter, I am currently sharpening my culinary skills in preporation for Labor Day dinner. My Mom's invited several of my relatives and I'm stuck with grill duty.

And Stove duty...

And Oven Duty...

Heck, let's face it, I never pictured myself a cook but since Mom had back and neck surgery I've been helping her more and more often in the kitchen... maybe I should have taken those Home Ec classes in High School after all... Then again I thought that by now I'd be working at Bethesda or some other game company cranking out new ideas.

Well, like the old saying goes: Don't plan your life in a straight line because there's always room for a few bends along the path...

...or something like that...

On with the story!

Also, on a note I recieved, I didn't know Nintendo had renegged on Bowser's kids. They are now saying that Bowser Jr is his only kid but for the sake of the story continuing, I'll continue my previous chain of thought.

(Besides, what else am I going to do with the three dozen or so jokes and one-liners I created for the rest of the Koopalings?)

BTW, you may see the word 'Support' come up later in the chapter and in upcoming chapters, that means that certain characters have different abilities that may help (or hinder!) the party when in combat.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SUPER MARIO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.

Chapter 2: An Old Frenemy

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The damage to the doomship wasn't as severe as Mario had thought it was. It took Ludwig only a few moments (and some trouble with an engine that didn't seem to want to function properly) to get the airship up and hovering above the ground. Compared to some of the other airships Bowser and his kids used, this one seemed somewhat smaller. Bowser Jr posed the question to Ludwig who was all too happy to explain.

"You see, this airship was designed for Iggy. I wasn't supposed to be a grand undertaking like the other vessels. He was too accident-prone when he was younger... Not that he's changed THAT much since... Still, this one was built to at least get him off Dad's back about him being the only one of us without a doomship. I honestly thought Dad would tear his hair out with not one but TWO demanding children. Wendy's always the premadonna, wanting this or that without regard to anyone else. Iggy was just copying Wendy." Mario actually felt sorry for Bowser, hearing that. Then he remembered all the trouble the Koopalings had given him in the past and banished the thought.

"So this one was build for Iggy. Any idea why it crashed? I don't recall boarding this one before." Ludwig sighed.

"Iggy again. Morton tried to commandeer the vessel... playing 'pirate' as it were, and Iggy took offense and wrestled the wheel from him and made a crash landing here on the island." Mario grimaced and gazed out the window on the bridge.

"So, when will we reach Donut Island?"

"We'll know it when we pass Yoshi's Island." As he said this there was a spluttering sound from one of the engines and Ludwig laughed nervously.

"Or perhaps sooner... heh... I SAID we had just enough power to get us to Donut Island... what I didn't count on was running out of power BEFORE we even attempted a landing... Get to your seats, fasten your seatbelts, and make sure your trays are in their full upright and locked position... oh... and prepare for crash landing!"

Mario watched as the vertical lift engines cut out one after another and the nose of the airship dropped steeply. Debris and hurried repair patches broke free from the old deck and started flying past them as the airship dove. There was a loud crash and Mario looked to see the port side anchor and chain fly by. Ludwig was chuckling nervously as he tried to stop the descent. They broke through a large cloud bank and saw the donut-shaped island that was their destination. Ludwig attempted to throw some switches but was rewarded with the lights going off and a loud crack from behind them as the stern broke away from the rest of the ship making Ludwig chuckle nervously.

"I think we lost something. Not to worry though, we're still flying half a ship."

Suddenly a strong burst of wind hit the remains of the ship, picking the nose up a little bit and changing the trajectory. Ludwig sighed with relief at the change but then resumed his nervous expression when he realized where they were headed.

"So... anybody got a lifeboat or some other floatation device on them? I ask because we're landing in the lake in the middle of the island. Uh... AFTER we take the roof off that house down there..."

No sooner had Ludwig said that then there was a loud BANG and Mario saw pieces of wood, roof tiles, and bricks fly by before the airship landed in the lake and skipped three times before coming to a complete stop. The next sound they heard was the sound of rushing water as the airship started to sink as water rushed into the damaged hull. Ludwig leapt from the wheel and made a dash for the bridge door.

"Abandon ship! Koopas and mad scientists first!"

Bowser Jr dove through the open door after him and was followed by Mario just as the prow of the airship went under the surface and the rest of the ship flooded with water and sunk beneath the waves.

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Location: Donut Island Lake

Party: Mario, Bowser Jr, Ludwig (Support)

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The first thing Mario was aware of was Bowser Jr producing a Bubble Wand from his backpack and using its magic to create magical unpopable air bubbles for Ludwig and himself before swimming after him and using the same magic on him. As he breathed easier, Jr looked to him.

"How's that?" Mario nodded.

"Thanks. You know, you could have just-" Jr nodded.

"Yeah but then how would we find my Dad? You said finding these star pieces would help us find him, so you know how to find them. Right?" Mario sighed.

"Well first is to find out if anyone else saw where the star fell. If Ludwig was telling the truth when he said he saw the star shatter over the island, it's possible a lot of people saw it. We just need to ask around. Plus... if I had to guess, Smithy already has his gang looking for the stars as well. We find problems, we find the Smithy Gang, we find a star piece." Jr looked to Ludwig and then to Mario.

"I suppose you'd know better than us how to do that." Mario nodded.

"Guess so. Anyway, first we get back to the surface and then we head to the Yoshi Village." Ludwig glanced to Mario and then to Jr.

"Well, before that, we may have to stop at that village we clipped as we landed. Just in case we need supplies." Mario nodded and together the group swam to the surface and then to shore. However, as they reached the beach, an angry shout came from the distance.

"Hey! Yous guys took the roof offa my shop! You're gonna pay for that!" Mario thought he recognized the voice and turned to see an irate crocodile with a top hat coming towards them. Recognition flashed across Mario's face.

"Croco?! Is that you?" The crocodile stopped but then frowned.

"Croco? You know that lowdown, scaly, son of a goomba? That's my twin brother... although I had to dye my scales so that I no longer get confised with him and falsely arrested." He suddenly stopped and then glared at him.

"Enough about that criminal. I'm Broco! Now then, that little building you clowns hit coming down was my shop! Now pay up or I'll make you pay!"

Before Mario could react, Broco opened the bag he carried and tossed a micro Bob-omb at him and Bowser Jr. As it landed, the explosion was, despite the small size of the device, powerful enough to blast both of them back. Immediately, Ludwig frowned and grabbed a hold of Bowser Jr's bag and dug around in it.

"You think throwing Bob-ombs is fun? Well, no one throws them better than a Koopa!" Ludwig grabbed something he thought was a Bob-omb, pulled it out, and threw it with all his might. However, Mario suddenly leapt forward and grabbed the item.

"Ludwig! You almost threw a Mushroom at him!" Ludwig flushed with embarrassment and shrugged.

"Well what do you expect? I'm the smartest Koopa, not the luckiest." Bowser Jr facepalmed and looked to his older brother.

"Leave the bag alone and just stick to tinkering. Now then, you think throwing Bob-ombs is fun? Well, no one does it better than a Koopa!" Jr reached into the bag and before Broco could react, Jr pulled, primed, and threw a cluster Bob-omb that exploded several times around Broco, knocking him around.

"Yeeouch! That smarts! How does Croco put up with this? I'm a merchant, not a mercenary!" At that moment, a yell came from the town and yet another crocodile came running, this time though, Mario took a moment to glance at him and realized that this one really _was_ Croco.

And he looked more concerned than his brother had previously let on.

"Broco! You alright?!" Broco turned to Croco and huffed.

"Fine Croco. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were kicked out?" Croco chuckled.

"They let me back in provided I'm on my absolute _best_ behavior. So, what kinda trouble you in this time- wha? _Mario_? What in the name of the Great Croc are you doin' here?" Mario glanced at Croco and explained what had happened which made Croco gape in shock.

"Smithy's back? That wacko who caused so much trouble all those years ago? Yeesh, well, there goes the neighborhood. I suppose you're looking for star pieces again, right?" Mario nodded, to which Croco placed a hand under his chin in thought.

"You know, there _was_ a loud explosion just a while ago. I thought I saw what was a meteor or something of the sort blow up mid air as I was... uh... _harvesting_ crystals from Vanilla Dome. They all landed somewhere's in the area so I assume it should be easier to vanquish Smithy than it was before, right?" Mario shook his head sadly.

"Afraid not Croco. I'm afraid that the explosion you witnessed was only _one_ star piece. We have to find the rest of them and reassemble the star." Croco groaned.

"Oh boy, so, there are five points to a star, and who knows how many star pieces there are this time and to top it all off, its possible that every star piece shattered as it fell. That means there could be dozens of star pieces and even more of these star... _fragments_?" Mario nodded. At that moment, Broco snarled.

"Croco, you said you were going to be on your _best_ behavior! _Harvesting_ crystals from Vanilla Dome is _not_ legal!" Croco shrugged.

"Technically, I _was_ harvesting them, I just had no intention of reporting them to the Guard." Broco sighed.

"A crocodile can't change his scales... Fine then, _you_ use those crystals you _harvested_ to repair my roof that these three destroyed, and I won't get you in trouble." Croco gasped.

"Brother, I didn't know you had a mean streak in you. It suits you." Broco frowned.

"Just don't try anything funny. Mom wanted me to become respectable, _you_ on the other hand were all too eager to follow Dad's thieving ways." Croco smiled and nodded.

"You're right. Well then, since I'm getting everything in the open, I also _helped_ myself to your items in store. You left the front door wide open when that airship flew overhead. Here, take these crystals and some coins for payment and for repairs." Broco opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water but made no sound as Croco turned to Mario.

"Chances are my brother will go ahead and report me once he gets his voice back so that means I'll be on the move. However, if what I recall is true that these star pieces can grant wishes... then it seems to be in my best interests to join you and show you the places I saw the Star Fragments fall. Sound good?" Ludwig scoffed.

"What can this guy do?" Mario glanced to Ludwig and smiled.

"Croco is a thief I faced, and fought, several times during the last time we faced Smithy. I had hoped that time we saw him last he had changed his ways but I guess not." Croco smiled toothily and spun a coin on one finger.

"That's right! I'm the specialist of stealth, the master of mystery, the lord of lockpicking. Ain't no building or room or treasure chest I can't open, no law I can't escape... er... present company excluded of course. Anyway, the closest Fragment to here I believe is near the old Haunted House on the outer edge of the island." Mario sighed.

"Glad Luigi isn't here. He's terrified of ghosts."

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Croco has joined the party! (Wonder how long it'll take before Mario realizes his wallet's missing...) XD

Current Party: Mario, Bowser Jr, Croco, Ludwig (Support)

Sorry it took me so long in updating this story, ideas kinda came to a grinding halt after my nephews accidentally reset my Nintendo Wii and deleted my Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars game.

Anyway, I'm continueing my stories, even the ones currently on hold, I just need to clear a few things from my workdesk before I commit myself fully to any other story.

All I ask for is your patience and thank you for any reviews you write. I read all of them and reply when possible.

...

...

Wait a minute... my wallet's gone...

 _Croco!_


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